A Reverent Look ‘Inside the Vatican”

“Inside the Vatican” is one of those titles that could be used for a critical expose of the Roman Catholic Church or for a straightforward account of what lies behind the walls of the world’s smallest sovereign nation.

Tonight’s National Geographic special (8 p.m., KCET) opts for the latter approach, in what amounts to a reverent though not religious look at Vatican City.

Most of the documentary takes place in chambers, hallways and outdoor areas that most outsiders could have only imagined up to this point. Indeed, gaining access to film in these heretofore off-limit locales was a daily battle for the filmmakers during their three months on location.

“Inside the Vatican” displays a wealth of art, architecture and historical documents, including a note of complaint from Michelangelo and a divorce petition from Henry VIII. And it does a good job tracing the history of the Vatican’s founding, on the site where St. Peter was said to be buried, and following it to its present incarnation, in which perhaps the only ATMs with instructions in Latin can be found.

But interestingly enough, for a place with nearly 2,000 years of history, the most compelling story lines in “Inside the Vatican” center on the lives of its current inhabitants. We meet Sister Angela, a nun who has been repairing tapestries by hand for 35 years. We follow Yves Luthi as he prepares to take the oath as a Swiss guard, to give his life to defend the pope. We watch tailor Eti Cicioni make the guards’ elaborate uniforms. We hear the stories of Arturo Mari, the pope’s photographer, who offers insight into the pontiff’s daily life; the sampietrini, who maintain St. Peter’s Basilica in acrobatic fashion; and the clergymen who are preparing for their ordination as bishops.

Martin Sheen provides the narration that ties all of these stories into a cohesive, multifaceted whole, with only one mention of modern-day controversy. That aspect of the Vatican will have to wait for a different show.